What is the ruling on tahnik of the newborn?
Short answer
Tahnik is among the recommended sunnahs for the newborn, and the sunnah is that it be with a date, and it does not require intending to seek blessing from a particular person.
Evidence and explanation
The Shaykh determined that tahnik is a sunnah absolutely, that the sunnah in it is a date, and made clear that seeking the blessing of the Prophet ﷺ is specific to him.
Scholar referenced
This editorial summary is based on the original source linked below and is not presented as a verbatim quotation from the scholar.
From the text of the answer (Arabic, with an English translation)
Original answer — Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz
هل تحنيك المولود سنة مطلقًا أم كان للتبرك؟ — فتوى ٢٤٠٠٢- Question
«التحنيك أليس من باب التبرك بالنبي ﷺ؟»
English translation (unreviewed): Is tahnik not a matter of seeking blessing through the Prophet ﷺ?
- From the text of the answer
«هذا خاص بالنبي ﷺ، طلب التحنيك هذا قصدهم، يريدون ما جعل الله فيه من البركة؛ لكن إذا جاب الولد لأبيه يسميه أو جاب الأخ لأخيه الكبير من باب التقدير ما في شيء. س: لا أنا أقصد التحنيك يا شيخ؟ الشيخ: التحنيك سنة مطلقًا دائماً. س: بالتمر؟ الشيخ: بالتمرة يمضغها الرجل ويجعلها في حنكه؛ أمه أو أبوه أو غيرهم.»
English translation (unreviewed): This is specific to the Prophet ﷺ; their intention was to ask for tahnik, they wanted what Allah placed in it of blessing. But if the father brings the child to name him, or the brother brings it to his elder brother out of respect, there is nothing wrong. Q: No, I mean tahnik, Shaykh. The Shaykh: Tahnik is a sunnah absolutely, always. Q: With a date? The Shaykh: With a date that a man chews and places in the roof of the child's mouth; his mother or father or others.
- Evidence as the shaykh cited it
«الشيخ: كله سُنة، إن سماه يوم الولادة فهو سنة، وإن سماه يوم السابع فهو سنة، كلها ثابتة عن النبي ﷺ.»
English translation (unreviewed): The Shaykh: All of it is sunnah: if he names him on the day of birth it is sunnah, and if he names him on the seventh day it is sunnah; all of it is established from the Prophet ﷺ.
The Arabic excerpts matched the original page word for word by an automated check and have not had human scholarly review. The English translations are unreviewed translations made for this site; they are not an approved Shari‘ah translation. Rely on the Arabic original.
Source
Is tahnik of the newborn a sunnah absolutely or was it for seeking blessing?
Title of the original page (Arabic): هل تحنيك المولود سنة مطلقًا أم كان للتبرك؟
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him